Just a few days before we presented our research to senior policy makers at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Indian Express carried a story highlighting some shortcomings in the implementation of BharatNet. This was possibly linked to a parliamentary question that had been posed around then.
Now in a follow up piece, the journalist has directly quoted our research:
A survey conducted by think-tank LIRNEasia and IIT-Delhi suggested that the use of BharatNet was in single-digits across areas surveyed. “Institutional users are pertinent as they would take the broadband from the gram panchayats to the individual consumers and households. The survey reveals that only one third of them use internet and nearly 70 per cent of non-users do not have any intention to use internet in near future. The use of BharatNet is in single-digit which is a challenge as well as an opportunity for BBNL (Bharat Broadband Network Ltd) and the government as more institutional users are required to experience the benefits of internet for demonstration effects,” said P Vigneswara Ilavarasan of IIT Delhi, who led the survey.
This is an illustration of the process of taking research to policy that was the focus of our course.
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